Firing mechanism for guns.



Im. 7|s,635. l Y .Patented D ec.23,'|9o2.

l A.' T. nAwso'N & e, T. Bu'cKHMu.

FIRING MECHANISM FR GUNS.A

(Application filed Feb. 2S, 1902.)

(nu Model.) 4 sheets-sheet No. 716,685. Patented Dec. 23, |902. A. T. DAWSON 81.26. 1|'. BUCKHAM.

FRING MECHANISM FUR GUNS.

' (Application filed Feb. 28, 1902.)

(No. Model.)

' 4Sheets-Sheet 2.

i faam-01.15 W'wfawa/a No. 76,6851.' l I l Patented DBO. 23, |902.

A. T. nAwsoN e. G. T. uckmuw.l

FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

(Application led Feb. 28, 1902.)

(No Mdel.) 4 Sheetvs-Shqet 3.

l w Patented Dec. 23, |902. vA. T. nAwsoN & G..T BucKHAM.

FIRING MECHANISM `FOR GUNS.

(Application Bled Feb. 28, 1902.) y (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

- UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR T'REVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF` WEST-y MINSTER., LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS SONS & MAXIM, LIMITED, WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND...

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,685, date-d December 23, 1902.

Application filed February 2 8, 19 ()2. Serial No. 96.1.51. CN'o model.)

To all whom it may concern.' v

Be it known thatwe,ARTHUR TREvoR DAW SON, late lieutenant of Royal Navy, and GEORGE. THOMAS BUCKHAM, engineer, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at 32 Victoria street,Westminstei-, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Firing Mechanism of Guns,l of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the iiring mechanism of guns, and particularly to the kind of such mechanism in which the ring hammer' or pin is cocked during the opening of the breech.

One of the chief 4objects of our invention is to so construct the firing mechanism that the tiring hammer or pin can be cocked directly by the hand-lever employed for op-` erating the breech mechanism, the arrangement being such that said hammer or pin can likewise be cocked without actuating said hand-lever when necessary.

We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure l is a rear end elevation and Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken approximately on the line l l of Fig.` l, showing our improved firing mechanism. In these figures the parts are represented in the position they-occupy I when the gun has been red. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections similar to Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows the parts of the firing mechanism in the position they occupy when just cocked by swinging the hand-louer to open the breech. Fig. 4 shows the parts of the mechanism in the position they occupy when cocked and ready to fire-that is to say, with the breech locked. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section'taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and shows the trigger in the position itoccupies when the hammer is cocked.

gun.

Like letters of reference 'indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A is the wall of the breech-chamber of the D isthe obturator4bolt.

E is the primer. i

F is the primer-extractor.

G is the hand-lever for actuating the breech mechanism, and H 'is the trigger.

I is ya' sliding piece or frame which is adapted to work laterally in guides-d, formed on a nut D', secured onto the end of the ob- 'turator-bolt. D. Pivotally connected ,with

this frame by means of a pin i is the firinghammer J, which has a short bent arm j at one end and the firing pin or strikerj'at the other end. The free end ofthe said bent arm is furnished with a roller against which bears a spring-plunger i', contained within a cavity in said slidingl piece I. Mounted on the pin 'i of the hammer J- is a lever K, (hereinafter referred to as the cockinglever,) which is furnished with an arm lc,that engages with a recess c in the swinging carrier C. The under side of the hammer J is provided with a projection jz, which engages with a recess k' inthe upperside of the cocking-lever K, said turns in the recess c of the swinging carrier, as

about a fulcrumf,.and causes the sliding frame to move laterally to the right in its guides. At the same time the hammer J is caused to turn outwardly about thesaid hinge-pin by the engagement of the projection 7"2 with the recess lo' in. the cooking-lever. The arm j of the hammer then moves the plunger 1l inward with respect to its recess in the sliding piece I, thereby compressing the spring of said plunger. The boss of the hammer J is formed with two notches js 3'4, with the latter of which the nose of the trigger H engages by the ac-y tion of its spring h as said hammer assumes its fully-cocked position. (See Fig. 5.) As the hammer assumes its 4f ully-cocked position the sliding piece I completes its lateral out- 1roo ward movement and brings a notch 2 therein opposite a locking-bolt '113 on the carrier, which bolt is at that time caused to protrude into said notch by the rotary unlockingr movement of the breech-block, on-A which is formed a small inclined plane. The sliding piece I is thus retained in its outward position. Fig. 3 represents the parts in this position. The continued outward movement of the handlever G will bringa shoulder c' thereon against ,a projection on the carrier, whereby the latter will be caused to swing open and withdraw the block from the breech-chamber in the well-known manner. The aforesaid locking-bolt z'f maintains the sliding piece I in proper position for the cam-groove g of the hand-lever to rengage with the pin k2 when said hand-lever is swungl inwardly to close the breech. On the inward movement of the said hand-lever the pin k2 of the cooking-lever will as the hand-lever assumes the position represented in Fig. 3 and continues its inward movement travel in the cam-groove g of the hand-lever in the reverse direction to that above stated and in so doing will by the action of the arm k cause the sliding piece I to move inwardly, or toward the left, the aforesaid bolt 113 having been previously liberated by the rotary movement of the block as it performs its locking movement, so that said bolt will be shifted inwardly by the inclined surface of the notch 1? acting on the correspondinglyinclined nose of said bolt is. The hole X in the sliding piece is thus brought opposite the axis of the primer E as the hand-lever completes its inward movement. The aforesaid cocking-lever K being in one piece vwith the arm 7c turns inwardly about its hinge-pin 7,' as the sliding piece moves inwardly; but the hammer remains held in its cocked position by the trigger engaging with the notch y, this inward movement of the cooking-lever independently of the hammer beiuY permitted by the escape of the projection 7`- thereon from the recess 7c of the cooking-lever as the latter moves inward. 'lhe parts thus assume the position represented by Fig. 4. Then by pulling the trigger 1I outwardly by means of a lanyard connected with'the eye h', Fig. 5, the nose of the trigger will be with- .drawn from the notchj4 and the hammer permitted to fly forward under the action of the spring-plunger 'i' on the bent arm j of the hammer, whereby the ring pin will be caused to strike the primer and fire the gun. As the hammer assumes its fired position the nose of the trigger will engage with the notch js of the hammer and retain the latter in such position until the hand '-7 lever G is again moved outwardly, the turning of the hammer about the hinge-pin 1I then causing the inclined portion of said notch ji to act on the inclined portion of the nose of the trigger and force it outwardly against the resistance of its spring. In order to enable the trigger to be cocked independently of the hand-lever The aforel. In firing mechanism for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier,of a laterally-sliding piece on the carrier, a spring-controlled firing-hammer pivoted to said sliding piece, a cocking-lever also pivoted to said sliding piece, means whereby the cooking-lever in itsoutward movement engages with and cocks the hammer and in its inward movement becomes disengaged therefrom, a trigger for retaining the hammer cocked, and means for actuating the sliding piece and the cooking-lever by the movement of the hand-lever substantially as described.

2. In firing mechanism for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier, of a laterally-sliding piece on the carrier, a spring-controlled firing-hammer pivoted to said sliding piece, a cooking-lever also pivoted to said sliding piece, a projection on said firing-hammer adapted to engage with a rearwardly-open recess in the cooking-lever, a trigger for retaining-the hammer cocked, and means for actuating the sliding piece and the cooking-lever by the .movement of the hand-lever substantially as described.

3. In lirin g mechanism for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier of a laterally-sliding piece on the carrier, a spring-controlled firing-hammer piv- ,oted to said sliding piece, a cooking-lever also pivoted to said sliding piece, means whereby the cocking-leverin its outward movement engages with and vcocks -the hammer and in its inward movement becomes disengaged therefrom, a trigger for retaining the hammer cocked, a projection on the cocking-lever adapted to engage with a cam-groove in the hand-lever and an arm on the cooking-lever engaging with a recess in the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In firing mechanism-for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier, of a laterally-sliding piece on the carrier, a ring-hammer pivoted to said sliding piece, an arm on said hammer against which arm a spring-plunger in the sliding piece bears, a cooking-lever a'lso pivoted to said sliding piece, a projection on the firing-hammer adapted to engage with a rearwardlyopen recess in the cooking-lever, a trigger for retaining the hammer cocked, a projection on the cooking-lever adapted to engage with a cam-groove in the hand-lever,and Aan arm on IOO its inward movement becomes disengagedtherefrom, a trigger adapted to move laterally on said sliding piece, a spring for tending to keep the beveled nose of said trigger engaged with one or other of two beveled notches in the boss of the firing-ham mer, and means for actuating the sliding piece and the cocking-lever by the movement of the handlever substantially as described.

6. In firing mechanism for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier, of aulaterallylsliding piece ,formed with a hole for the pin of the firing-hammer to reach the detonator, of guides for said sliding piece formed on a nut secured on the end of the obturator-bolt connected with the carrier, of a locking-bolt .in the carrier adapted y to be acted upon at one end by the breecl1- means for actuating the sliding piece and cocking the hammer by the movement of the Y hand-lever substantially as described.

'7. In firing mechanism for guns, the combination with the hand-lever and the swinging carrier, of a laterally-sliding piece on the carrier, a spring-controlled firing-hammer pivoted. to said sliding piece, a cooking-lever also pivoted to said sliding piece, means whereby the cooking-lever in its outward movement engages with and cocks the hammer and in its inward movement becomes disengaged therefrom, a trigger on the sliding piece for retaining the hammer cocked, means for actuating the sliding piece and the cockinglever by the movement of the hand-lever, and means whereby the hammer can be cocked independentlyof the hand-leversubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands, in presence of two subscribing witmesses, this 19th day of February, 1902.

ARTHUR. TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKIIAM. Witnesses:

ST. MARIE BoNvERIE, HENRY KING. 

